The Boston Celtics are dismal 0-3 to start the season and there’s not just one reason why. Their team defense is problematic, as evidenced by their defensive rating (116.6, 20th in the NBA). Their defensive rebounding has been atrocious, which is why they rank 26th in that category. On top of that, they can’t seem to put the ball through the net, averaging 108.0 points per game (30th in the NBA).
This early in the season, there’s no need to panic, especially considering their extenuating circumstances. Nevertheless, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla does need to consider at least one major change. Maybe even three.
3 Potential Solutions For Celtics Amid 0-3 Start
Remove Payton Pritchard From Starting Lineup
Payton Pritchard‘s rise is commendable but the fact that he has a feel-good story doesn’t mean he’s an ideal starter.
Frankly, the Celtics attempting to replace Jrue Holiday with Pritchard is a lot like the Milwaukee Bucks going from Holiday to Damian Lillard. In Holiday, teams have a defensive-minded guard who’s an above-average scorer and playmaker. Pritchard’s defense has been more reliable than Lillard for a couple of years, but he’s still a small guard whose first instinct is to score. Every season is different and losing Holiday, Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis has presented Boston with a real challenge. However, the best role for Payton is probably the one he had last season: terrorizing opponents from off the bench.
If Payton comes off the bench, choosing Derrick White‘s best backcourt mate is still tricky. With that being said, it’s important to remember that White usurped Holiday as the team’s lead guard. Therefore, the player that supplants White in the starting lineup should be more of an off-guard or a wing. Ironically, that may make Jaylen Brown the best choice as White’s backcourt partner. Though he has considerable responsibility at the offensive end, he’s considered an upper echelon perimeter defender.
Focus On 5-Out Offense
One of the reasons that the Celtics were so formidable last season was their five-out offense. Yet, when Porzingis was traded, they parted ways with their best floor-spacing center. When they then signed Chris Boucher, who can conceivably play every frontcourt position, it seemed like a potential solution. To that point, he’s converted 33.7% of his career 3s and knocked down 36.3% of his 3-point attempts in 2024-25.
Xavier Tillman Sr. and Luka Garza are still in the mix as well.
At 6-foot-8, Tillman’s not as tall as a typical center but he has plenty of size thanks to his 245-pound frame. He’s only made 25.2% of his career 3s in the NBA and shot 27.3% in college. However, he made 34.9% of his catch-and-shoot 3s as a rookie and has made 35.0% of his above-the-break 3s (right side) in his career. Though neither his playmaking nor rim-protection is at Porzingis’s level, he offers that too.
Garza is less versatile than Tillman and hasn’t been much of a shot-blocker but has better length at 6-foot-10. He’s also a career 30.8% 3-point shooter that made 34.1% of his 3s in the first two seasons of his career. He’s been particularly efficient above the break (left side), making 36.6% of his 3s in that shot zone.
Meanwhile, Neemias Queta is the Celtics’ most effective center but also their most traditional one. To that point, he’s only attempted three 3-pointers in his career, missing them all. Boston may not necessarily need to start Boucher, Tillman or Garza over him, but it does make sense for them to play them more frequently. After winning a championship and having back-to-back 61+ win seasons with a five-out offense, why try to recreate the wheel?
Sam’s The Man
If Brown shifts to the backcourt to replace Holiday, it’s not like his scoring will go away. However, they’d still need to find another strong and athletic wing or forward that can play high-level point-of-attack defense in the starting lineup. Boucher can very well be that player.
That’s not to downplay Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, or Josh Minott. However, a defensive specialist would ideally be able to offer some form of consistent offense. With the Celtics currently ranking 30th in points per game, it’s even more important for them. Keeping that in perspective, out of the aforementioned players, Boucher has been the most reliable scorer with a career average of 8.8 points per game.
If Boucher did start alongside White, Brown, and Queta/Tillman/Garza though, Boston would undoubtedly need a reliable off-ball shooter in the first unit as well. Looking at their roster, Sam Hauser should get the nod. The undrafted five-year NBA veteran is a career 42.1% 3-point shooter and has never made below 41 percent of his 3s in any season. He’s also steadily improved as a perimeter defender.
In terms of his position, outside shooting, defensive potential, Hauser could actually give the Celtics their best chance to replicate what Tatum offered from the 4-slot.
The Last Word
Ultimately, with these changes, the Celtics depth chart would look like this
Derrick White, Payton Pritchard Jaylen Brown, Anfernee Simons, Baylor Scheierman Chris Boucher, Hugo Gonzalez / Josh Minott Jayson Tatum*, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh Xavier Tillman Sr. / Neemias Queta / Luka Garza
With these changes, defense and defensive rebounding should become less of a concern for the first unit. They’ve dramatically improved their length by essentially swapping out Pritchard (6-foot-1) for Boucher (6-foot-9). The starting lineup does lose offensive firepower with this move. But again, Pritchard may be better served primarily attacking from the second unit, alongside Anfernee Simons. Indeed, a way to survive without Tatum offensively may be to drastically outplay opposing teams’ reserves.
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